It has been said by folks far wiser than me that ‘sitting is the new smoking’ But what does that actually mean? Well, it could mean that the effects on the cardiovascular systems from sitting could increase the risk of illness (or even death?!). Or that sitting too long (indoors) has adverse effects on our mental health. But for me as a musculoskeletal physiotherapist, it means that sitting takes us into a posture is mechanically inefficient and likely to cause pain and suffering. At first, this is only a problem while we are actually sitting, BUT, as the days and months roll into years of too much sitting the body can get stuck in a sitting posture. We end up producing a habitual slouch: the lower back curves backward instead of forwards, the upper back curves further back than “normal” and the chin pokes forward. Sound familiar? (more…)
